MPUSD hires community relations firm to help its image

By the time the order period to buy Monterey Peninsula Unified School Districts bonds ended Nov. 15, the investment firm in charge of selling them received purchase orders worth almost $90 million.

Only $20 million in bonds were available.

Because of the district's healthy cash flow and "superior liquidity," Moody's awarded the bonds the highest rating possible, hence their popularity.

The story illustrates a lingering dilemma at MPUSD, say officials: administrators manage district finances so well their promissory notes are golden. Yet there is a belief in some sectors of the community that the district is "mismanaged."

How the public views MPUSD is something administrators say the district has battled for years and tried to counteract by organizing community meetings, workshops and other activities to little or no avail.

It's an effort that moved up another notch on Monday, when trustees unanimously approved a contract with K-12 Insight, a Virginia-based community relations firm that helps school districts grow "trust capital" by engaging the "silent majority" in collaborative decision-making.

Liz Ralston, vice president of K-12 Insight, described in a presentation to the board how small, vocal minorities often hijack the message an educational organization is trying to convey.

Ralston calls them the CAVE people: citizens against virtually everything.

For $40,000 a year, K-12 will design a plan for MPUSD to engage with different groups — teachers, parents, and community members. The plan will include coming up with a communications calendar, surveys and wording of questions for said surveys for different groups. Some surveys that could be launched include evaluations of the central office, of the different school sites, of professional development needs.

"It's not just an exercise to collect more data," Ralston said. "It's also looking for feedback at the same time so that people (become) interested in the conversation."

K-12 Insight has helped districts tackle thorny issues, such as massive budget cuts and closure of several schools in one district.

The idea to hire an outside company to do this work emerged from trustees and the superintendent, board President Debra Gramespacher said.

"We've been wanting as a board to analyze the community input, but also (input) from our staff," she said. "I'm concerned with our employees and want to help them access the best tools."

From time to time, a disgruntled voice will emerge from cyberspace making accusations against top district officials. The accusers rarely want to see their names in print, saying they fear retaliation.

Education circles are small and a bad recommendation could hamper one's ability to move up the career ladder, they say.

Gramespacher said she didn't believe Ralston was referring to MPUSD when making her presentation.

"I don't want to over-interpret what she's saying," Gramespacher said. "Ralston was talking about what happens in many districts, and our district would not be different. We have a group of community members and parents who are very involved — and rightly so — in the education of their students, and you hear more from them than anybody else. What Liz is trying to communicate is that rather than let them identify the message, as a district work with them to better formulate the message together in a productive matter that addresses community concerns."

The contract with K-12 will begin Dec. 1, and before it is renewed for the 2013-14 school year, trustee Bettye Lusk wants to have an evaluation of what was accomplished, she said during Monday's meeting.

The first two topics that will be broached through surveys will be the budget and a possible change in the high schools schedule.